A Learning Experience
by Living in a fantasy
Summary: A field trip turns disastrous when Matt and Mello get lost in the woods. Now they must work together to survive the elements and find their way back to camp, enduring injuries and hazardous weather. Will they ever find their way back?
1. Lost

**AN: I got the original idea for this months and months ago, but never really developed it. Over time I began getting some ideas and started mapping it out and FINALLY I have started writing it. I hope you'll all enjoy it!**

**Writing in third person is weird after writing in first person all the time o.O**

**Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Death Note. You're silly.**

/…/…/…/

Chapter one: Lost

While Wammy's House was an orphanage for particularly gifted children, it was still an orphanage for children. This was the cause of the occasional field trip to let the children behave as children (although the trips also contained educational values as well). Different age groups went on different days to different locations. Nine and under had already taken their trip, and ages fourteen and up were not going for another two weeks. Ages ten through thirteen were currently on the way to their trip.

This time the children were going camping. It was enjoyable enough with a practical use; learning the skills necessary to survive in a more wild environment.

Some children were excited about the trip. Others, such as Matt, were not. Because they were supposed to be camping, Roger had forbidden him to bring any games with him. It was bad enough he didn't care for the outdoors, but now he didn't even have a distraction. Mello had tried to tell him that his DS would just get ruined, but Matt hadn't listened, pouting the whole way to the bus that took them to the site.

Mello wasn't particularly excited either, but he was handling it better than Matt was. Mello wasn't exactly jumping up and down for the trip, but he wasn't still sulking about it either. Plus the fact that Near hated it so much was an added bonus.

Unfortunately the fact that Matt hated it so much was just getting on his nerves.

"They didn't even give us a choice! Who really wants to go camping anyway?" Matt was ranting from his place besides Mello on the bus. Mello rolled his eyes and tried to tune the redhead out. Odd, it was usually the other way around.

"What am I supposed to do for a week in the woods? It's so pointless!"

Mello made a conscious effort not to punch his best and only friend in the face. Is this what it was like for Matt to listen to his rants?

"And if you get to keep your chocolate I don't see why I don't get to keep my games!"

Sick of his ranting, Mello turned and glared icily at Matt, who paused and shrunk back slightly as Mello leaned towards him.

Mello gripped his wrist to stop him from moving back and leaned close, so his lips were settled next to the redhead's ear. "Shut up," he said, voice deadly calm. "Stop whining. I snuck your Gameboy Advanced out, so shut the fuck up before I beat your head in! If I hear one more complaint out of you the rest of the way it's going in the river as soon as we get there! Got it?!"

Matt nodded quickly and Mello sat back, crossing his arms and looking out the window. Neither boy said anything for a moment, Matt watching the blond. The chatter of the children around them continued unhindered, and Matt shifted uncomfortably at the silence between them. "Thank you," he said timidly, looking away from Mello and to the floor.

He said nothing, pulling a partially eaten chocolate bar from his pocket and taking a quick bite of it.

"Why the Advanced?" Matt asked, still not looking at Mello.

"Because you have every handheld ever made, and you never use your advanced anymore. You play those games on whatever other handhelds you have. That way if you lose this one or ruin it you can still play the games," Mello said as he finished the last bite of his chocolate.

A small smile crept on Matt's face. "Thank you," he said again.

"Yeah whatever," Mello muttered.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the scenery pass them by. Mello reached in his pocket and growled when he realized the rest of his chocolate was with their bags. Wordlessly Matt reached into his pocket and removed a fresh chocolate bar. Mello took it, not saying thanks, but giving Matt a small smile.

The rest of the bus ride went smoothly, and when they reached their destination the orphans clambered off the bus, talking excitedly.

"Children," Roger said, trying to get their attention. It didn't work, and everyone continued their conversations. "Children!" he tried again. Several students turned to him then, but many still ignored him. Matt and Mello were laughing rather obnoxiously from farther off, as if taunting the lack of respect he was receiving from the majority of the students. Roger scowled, but before he could make a third attempt L stepped forward.

"If you would all please direct your attention to the front, I have some announcements to make."

Everyone quieted instantly. Roger seethed in the background.

It was a special occasion for L to be with them. L was rarely at the Wammy house, let alone one of the field trips. "Now children, all of you will receive different tasks to perform during this trip. This is not only supposed to be enjoyable, but educational as well. You will learn many techniques that are required for surviving in a less civilized environment. I will call you up in pairs to assign you your tasks, so please converse quietly among yourselves until I call you. First Amanda and Taylor, come up here please."

Everyone was still silent as two girls who had been standing together came forward. Amanda and Taylor were close friends, and everyone relaxed slightly knowing L probably paired them with a friend.

"I want you girls to set up two of the tents. The necessary materials are already in your assigned location," L said, pointing to where the girls were supposed to go. "Try to complete your task in a timely manner, as someone has to sleep there tonight." The girls nodded and walked off and L called the next pair. People began to break off into quiet conversations as pairs continued to be called up.

"Matt and Mello," L said some time later, after many of the pairs had dispersed already. The two quickly made their way forward, awaiting instruction. "You two must go collect firewood for the night. There is not a great rush, as it is early afternoon, but attempt to return within an hour." Both nodded and moved in the direction L was pointing, out of the clearing and into the woods. They were not out of earshot though, before hearing L tell Near and Linda that they were to take inventory of their food supplies.

"How unfair," Mello huffed. "That's special treatment. He knows Near hates being outdoors, and so precious Near gets to stay in the clearing while we have to wander through the forest!"

"Mhm," Matt muttered distractedly, looking back at camp. "Let's go," he said, leading them deeper into the woods and away from camp.

"Why are we going so far?" Mello asked, pausing in his rant about Near. "There's some wood around here."

Matt turned, studying Mello. The blond had grabbed his backpack already, probably to get to his chocolate stash. "Did you bring my Gameboy in this bag, or did you leave it with your main bag?"

Mello rolled his eyes and rummaged through his backpack, retrieving the Gameboy and handing it to Matt. "Thanks Mel," Matt said appreciatively. The redhead continued into the woods, switching on his game in the process. Mello rolled his eyes once more and spared their camp a second glance before following Matt, not bothering to collect any firewood yet.

The duo paused not too far from camp, near a steep hill. Mello was still ranting about Near, and Matt was tuning him out, playing his game. Mello had just paused to take a breath when he heard a sound coming from some brush farther ahead. He fell silent. Matt, confused at the abrupt lack of sound, looked up. "What's -,"

"Shh!"

Matt quieted instantly as Mello moved forward silently. Matt followed. Both their eyes widened when they saw, merely feet away, a bear beside a tree.

They had been warned of several wild animals in this area of the woods, and had been instructed how to handle these situations. Luckily for them, the bear had not seen them. Mello slowly reached down to grasp Matt's arm firmly and took a careful step backwards. He didn't take his eyes off the bear, and slowly led them backwards and out of the bears sight.

Neither spoke a word. They simply retreated away from the area they had seen the bear. L had said that most bears were shy, especially in this area, but one could never be too careful. If they surprised it, or made it defensive, or even worse it was hungry, it would likely lead to an attack. Neither boy thought they stood a good chance against a bear. Not entirely willing to go past the bears location to head straight back to camp, both boys moved in the opposite direction, hoping to put some distance between themselves and the animal before returning to camp after the bear had probably left the immediate area.

When far enough away to relax, both boys let out a breath of relief. "We'll have to tell L there was a bear so close to camp," Mello said. They were once again near the top of the steep hill, although much farther down then before after their hasty retreat.

"Yeah. I'm sure he didn't expect there to be any bears that close to camp."

Mello nodded. "Turn the volume up. Now that we're farther away we should be fine, as long as it can hear that something is near, it should go in the opposite direction."

Matt complied, even if he wasn't used to Mello actually telling him to turn up his game.

Slowly both relaxed, Matt content to play his game while Mello dug through his bag to see how much chocolate he had in his backpack. Satisfied with the amount, he leaned back against a tree and closed his eyes, munching on a chocolate bar. They stayed put for almost half an hour before Mello opened his eyes. "We need to get back; L said he wanted us back within an hour. Just keep your game on as we head back towards camp."

"Right," Matt said as Mello stood. Both stood there a moment, glancing around. Hesitantly, Matt opened his mouth to speak. "Mello? Exactly which way is camp?"

"Weren't you paying attention?" Mello asked.

"No. I was distracted. I was thinking of ways to avoid being mauled by a bear. Besides you were leading me."

Both looked around the woods surrounding them.

"I think we're lost Mello," Matt said at last.

Mello wanted to argue, but in all honesty while he was pretty sure of the way they came from, he wasn't positive.

Well, this was a great start for a field trip.

/…/…/…/

AN: Oh wow, I finished the first chapter xD I kind of got in a zone and just started writing. I've never seen an idea like this and it just kept calling out to me. This will obviously be ongoing, although not as long as Savior or Guardian Angel. Updates won't be as structured as before, as I always seem busy lately. In addition I will be out of town next week, without internet access, so prepare to wait even longer for an update.

Chapter one of My One and Only will come soon, so also be on the lookout for that. Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think of my newest project.


	2. Injuries

**AN: Just warning you now guys, this is not going to be a long one. I have it pretty mapped out already. If you have any suggestions or ideas, now is the time to let me know, and if it can fit or I haven't already planned to use it, I'll credit you. Anyway let the madness begin.**

/…/…/…/

Chapter 2: Injuries

"This is all your fault!"

"_My _fault?" asked Matt indignantly. The blond ignored him and turned away. He was silent for a minute, slowly surveying the trees around them.

"Camp should be this way," he stated as he started to move forward quickly without waiting for Matt. The latter struggled to keep up as Mello leaped easily over fallen trees and small rocks.

"Mello! Slow down!"

Mello continued to ignore him as they approached a small cropping of rocks. He swiftly began to navigate around them, right foot finding purchase on the hill. When his left foot left the ground to get around the rock, his right foot slipped. Before he could realize what was happening, Mello had fallen on the ground hard. The hill was steep and he flipped backwards once before tumbling sidewise and continued to roll painfully down the hill. Branches tore at his arms and legs and scratched his face. He raised his arms to protect his head and moments later came to a stop at the bottom of the hill.

Mello distantly heard Matt calling for him. Hesitantly he began to flex various body parts, his arms, wrists and fingers, then legs, left ankle, right ankle-

Mello gasped as he finally became aware of the shooting pain coming from his right ankle. Wincing, he forced himself to bend it. It hurt terribly, but he could manage it. _'At least it's not broken,'_ he thought to himself.

"Mello!"

Mello looked up to see Matt hurrying down the hill, almost tripping and falling himself in his haste to reach the injured blond. Matt managed to keep his balance though, and soon he was beside Mello, panting and falling to his knees beside him. "Mello, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," he lied, quickly moving to stand. Unfortunately his ankle was not compliant with his pride, because the sharp pain was enough to make him cry out and almost fall to the ground again, if it wasn't for Matt being there to help lower him carefully to the ground instead. "Don't touch me," he growled, pushing away Matt's helping hands. "I don't need help from someone who caused this in the first place."

Matt paused, looking hurt only for a moment before anger took over his features. "It's not my fault! This is your fault for moving so fast and falling. And it's not my fault we got lost."

"If you hadn't moved farther from camp to play your stupid game then we wouldn't have forgotten which way to go! Face it, it's your fault! We never would have run into that bear if you hadn't wanted to play your stupid game."

Matt looked away guiltily. "That doesn't only make it my fault," he said finally. "Obviously you weren't paying close enough attention either, ranting about Near not having to search for firewood. It's not totally my fault."

"Whatever," Mello grumbled. "Let's just go." He stood up, keeping the weight off his ankle so he wouldn't fall again.

"Can you even climb this?" Matt questioned. "It's steep; we'd have a hard time even if you weren't injured."

"I'm fine," Mello said, somehow making it to the base of the hill. It was not one of his most intelligent moments, trying to climb that hill. It was very obvious after the first step that he couldn't make it. He tried to stand straight, really he did, but the pain was too much for the thirteen year old and he was forced to lower himself to his knees, eyes closed and holding back another cry of pain.

"Mello you're going to make it worse. Face it, we can't climb that right now," Matt reasoned.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" Mello shrieked, still on the ground. Matt slowly moved towards him and carefully touched his shoulder. When Mello didn't respond Matt lowered himself to his knees, gently taking Mello's arm and putting it around his shoulders. "I can do it! Leave me alone!"

"No Mello, you're hurt. Just let me help you."

"I don't want your help," Mello said, tearing himself from Matt's grasp and stumbling back to flat ground and sitting, eyes shut tightly against the pain. Matt just watched him a moment then sat down beside the blond.

Matt was used to Mello's bouts of rage. He was also used to his stubbornness when he was hurt. This was nothing new…well being lost in the woods was new, but he was trying to not think about that too much right now. Mello's pride was hurt, that was all. Once he got over that they could move on and find a way back to camp.

"Go back to camp Matt," said Mello, interrupting the redhead's thoughts.

"What?"

Mello wasn't looking at him. "You climb the hill and get back to camp. You can come back for me later."

"No!" Matt said indignantly. "I'm not leaving you here injured by yourself! Besides you know I don't have the best sense of direction. I don't know how to get back to camp. What if I got lost? At least this way we're together."

"Oh goody," Mello muttered sarcastically.

"Look," Matt said, "the best thing for us to do right now is get you off your foot for a few hours. If it's not bad we should be able to climb the hill fine. I think that we might…have to spend the night out here though." He shuddered at the thought. "If you think you can handle it though, we could walk back in the direction of camp for a little while."

Mello growled slightly. "Of course I can handle it." Matt helped him up, glancing around uncertainly. Luckily there weren't many trees down here, or plants. The ground was relatively clear, which would be a huge help for Mello. He slowly began guiding them, attempting to help Mello over fallen branches despite the blonds' protests.

Mello was limping badly, so the duo was moving very slowly across the ground. Mello's teeth were clenched tightly to stop himself from making any noise. He didn't want to appear weak. Hurting his ankle from falling down a hill was ridiculous.

Ignoring the fact that they were lost, it was rather peaceful. The birds were singing cheerfully from the trees, and they had yet to come across any other wild animals. The sun was shining brightly, keeping the woods well lighted so it was easy to see.

If they weren't lost in the wilderness maybe it would be a little better.

Matt tightened his grip on Mello as they approached a fallen tree, supporting most of his weight to help him get over it. Mello, frustrated with his weakness, snapped.

"I don't want your help or need it Matt! Just stay away from me!"

"And where should I go?" Matt asked.

"I don't care! Find your way back by yourself, just don't follow me anymore!" he snapped, managing several steps on his own away from Matt.

Although Matt didn't move yet to catch him, his voice was loud and firm right behind him. "There is no way I'm leaving you here alone Mello. Like it or not you could not take care of yourself like this."

"I don't care! Find your own way out!" Mello continued, making it several more feet slowly on his own before he noticed Matt really wasn't following. He paused, turning to look at the redhead who was still standing in the same place behind him.

"You'd really leave me here…lost in the woods, alone?" Matt asked softly.

Mello cringed. Matt was using that injured voice that somehow always made him feel guilty. Was he mad at Matt for getting them lost? Yes. But he was also mad at Near for not being the one lost, at L for making them gather firewood, and although he hated to admit it, he was mad at himself for being part of the reason they were lost, and for being hurt and keeping them stuck farther away from camp.

Yes he was mad, but obviously he wasn't going to really leave Matt alone in the woods. Just imagining him alone, trying to survive made him flinch.

"Of course not you idiot. You're so annoying. If you want to stay with me then hurry up!"

Matt complied, moving next to Mello. "Will you let me help you?" he pleaded as Mello struggled over a tree branch. Mello nodded reluctantly and allowed Matt to handle part of his weight.

"What supplies do you have in your bag?" Matt asked, hoping for something to help them, particularly food.

"A couple sandwiches, chocolate, two apples, clothes and a blanket…a canteen I think. We'd have more supplies if you had got your bag too."

Matt sighed, brushing off the comments. Mello was just crabby because they were lost and he was hurt.

It was a rather terrifying situation to be in. Both of them had lived in cities before ending up at Wammy house, and neither had any experience with the woods or camping. They didn't know what food would be safe to eat. They didn't know any of that.

They were completely out of their element.

They were out of their element and while they knew basic survival tactics, they didn't know a lot. Not for a situation like this.

It was mild out, and they were quickly getting thirsty. Neither had eaten since breakfast and were getting hungry. The worst part was that they had arrived in the afternoon, and here in the dense woods it was already starting to get darker, and they had no plan for the night, no protection.

No, this wasn't looking good at all.

/…/…/…/

**AN: Short chapter is short. I am unhappy with it. But I needed to get it up since after I see Harry Potter at midnight the obsession will take over my life at least for several days.**

**Mello's being rather rude isn't he? Poor Matt, having to deal with that.**

**On an unrelated note, my friends and I recently finished editing some of our cosplay videos. If anyone is interested, we're under the name MarauderingWammys on youtube. I cosplay Matt, just in case anyone is bored enough to go and watch it xD. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter. Mello being injured is not going to bode well for them.**


	3. Nightfall

**AN: Another chapter! Will Mello stop being a jerk? You finally can find out! Yay! I loved Harry Potter by the way. Side note once more: We cosplayed again yesterday and are now uploading a series of four videos including a blooper reel. The account is MarauderingWammys on youtube so again, if bored check it out. I think mine (Matt's) is the only one up, unless Melissa finished editing Mello's…**

/…/…/…/

Chapter 3: Nightfall

Although the sun had not yet set, the woods were already growing dark. While before it had seemed peaceful and relaxing, the woods now seemed dark and ominous. Matt was nervous; he didn't want to be here when nightfall came. He didn't want to be surrounded by the blackness of night.

"We should find shelter," he said finally.

"And where do you suggest we find that?" Mello snapped.

Matt cringed slightly, the barbed responses starting to get to him after having to listen to them for so long. He tried to brush the tone off as Mello being in pain and instead looked around, hoping something would jump out at him.

That wasn't even the most pressing concern. They had no water. He had been trying to listen as they followed the hill for a sign of a river or something, but so far he'd had no luck.

Mello stumbled and cursed loudly. Matt paused, looking at him worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!"

Matt very much doubted that, but not too far ahead there was a small clearing in the trees to their left. He pulled Mello along, pausing to look across the clearing. It was lighter here, and seemed quieter somehow. And in the distance…he wasn't sure, but it could be a river, and if it was they desperately needed to reach it.

"Mello let's go this way."

"What? Camp is more this way! Plus we probably don't have to go much farther to reach where camp will be."

"We need water," Matt argued. "There may be some this way, see?"

Mello stared into the distance for several minutes. "It could be," he admitted finally.

The two adjusted their course. The walk took longer than they had expected, although part if it might be because of Mello's injury. The farther along they got, the more sure Matt was that they were nearing a source of water. Sure enough, after clearing several trees the two boys found themselves on the shore of a river.

The current was very strong, and there were trees and large rocks all along it. Mello shrugged off his backpack and dug through it, finding a canteen. Matt took it and climbed onto the rocks, quickly filling it. Both of them knew not to drink water straight from the river, but Mello had brought a portable purification device, which would work, but would make the water taste horrible. Either way though, it was still water.

Matt gazed down the river from his spot out on the rocks. All along the shore there were big clusters of rocks, some larger than others. If they could find a secure one, it may work as shelter for the night. He told Mello this, who agreed to walk down the river for a short time in search of shelter.

Not fifteen minutes later they stumbled across something that could almost pass for a cave. It wasn't deep, but it would fit them both and even a fire comfortably, and would provide shelter. "This will work. Tomorrow your ankle will probably be a lot better, and we can climb back up the hill," Matt said.

Mello shrugged and sat down. "Go get some firewood so we can build a fire."

Matt rolled his eyes but complied, hoping Mello was not participating because he was bossy, not because he was in pain. Leaving the shelter behind, he ventured into the trees, collecting firewood on the way. Once he almost had more than he could carry (he did not want to run out in the middle of the night) he returned to the cave, tossing the wood to the floor at Mello's feet. The blond said nothing, and instead began to assemble the wood in the middle of the cave for where their fire would go. Sighing, Matt sat down and leaned against the rocks.

"Toss me your lighter," Mello muttered distractedly.

Matt complied, tossing the rarely used lighter to his best friend. Mello had yelled at him when he first found out Matt had tried cigarettes a month ago, but now that they needed a fire, it's a good thing he had.

"We should eat," Mello said, rummaging through his bag. "Here, we'll split half a sandwich and an apple tonight." It wasn't much, not nearly a sufficient meal, but it was something, and since neither boy knew how long they might be lost, they had to save as much as possible.

It wasn't much longer before it was dark. Both boys stood at the entrance of their structure and looked across the woods.

The woods were so dark that neither of them could see more than several feet in front of them. Matt gravitated closer to Mello without thinking about it, intimidated. Neither boy could even see the river, even though it was only a few feet in front of them. Feeling unsafe surrounded by that darkness, both retreated further inside, not speaking. Mello removed the blanket from his bag and laid down. Matt looked at him a moment, but he was used to Mello by now, and Mello's body language was telling him to stay away from him. Matt sighed to himself and moved to the other side of the small fire, curling up on the ground. He closed his eyes, hoping that it would be easy to fall asleep.

The night was silent in a loud way. Neither boy had ever noticed how hard you listen to the silence for a disruption when there was no other noise around. The boys were on separate sides of the small fire, facing away from each other. Matt's eyes were opened wide, staring at the wall of the cave and ears straining for any sudden noise. The natural sounds of the woods seemed much more amplified when they were on their own and when it was nighttime.

He glanced behind him at Mello, who was curled in his blanket and also facing the wall. Matt turned away again and shivered, trying in vain to stay warm. Although it was rather comfortable in the daytime, the temperature had cooled overnight. He hadn't brought a bag with him in the woods like Mello had. Matt jumped at the sudden crack of a stick and sat up, staring into the mouth of the cave as if waiting for a predator to strike.

"Go to sleep. There's nothing that dangerous out there or we wouldn't have gone on the trip here," Mello said without turning around.

Matt said nothing, not wanting to argue that they had seen a bear not even twenty four hours ago. He's rather believe Mello's words. Instead he laid back down on the ground. He closed his eyes, telling himself he'd wake up in the morning and it would all be fine, although not really believing it. He flinched at another unfamiliar noise but kept his eyes closed, trying to force himself to relax.

He hadn't said anything but he was scared…really scared. They weren't meant to be out here like this. They didn't know how to survive out in the woods alone. Sure they were geniuses but that didn't mean they could survive with so few rations.

Another strange sound came and Matt flinched again, squeezing his eyes closed harder. Mello's eyes had snapped open at the sound, and he shifted silently, propping himself up to look out of the cave, then turned his eyes towards Matt.

He knew it wasn't Matt's fault they were out here, but it wasn't his fault either! To be honest it really wasn't either one of their faults, and the blond was starting to regret his harsh words as he watched his companion curled on the ground, shaking. He hadn't bothered to stop Matt from leading them out of sight of camp, and he hadn't paid attention to where they were going. If the bear hadn't been there, they would be back at camp right now, sharing a tent. He'd probably be watching Matt try to play his games by flashlight and munching on a chocolate bar. Now though they had to save every bite of food they had.

He glanced away when Matt flinched at another noise, watching the ground indecisively. He pulled the blanket around himself tighter, still chilled even with a blanket. If he was chilly with a blanket Matt must be freezing…

"Matt."

Matt turned around, looking towards the blond. Mello unwrapped himself slightly. "Just…come here."

Matt obeyed immediately, moving around their small fire to sit besides the blond. Mello scooted over and lied down, flapping out the blanket to cover them both as Matt lied down beside him. Mello could feel him shivering beside him. He reached around Matt to adjust the blanket to cover him better then lied back down. Matt hesitated a moment then shifted closer to Mello, curling up against him. Mello tensed a moment then relaxed, turning so he was facing Matt. It was a lot warmer pressed again the redhead.

Matt cringed yet again at another strange noise and wordlessly Mello draped an arm around him, pulling him even closer. Matt closed his eyes, relaxing with the reassurance that Mello was beside him and there to keep him safe. Logically there wasn't much Mello could do to protect him from some wild animal attack or anything, but Matt felt safer anyway.

It took ages, but eventually both boys managed to drift off and find sleep.

/…/…/…./

Mello groaned and shifted, slowly waking up to find that no, this was not a horrible dream, he really was lost in the woods. Noticing a mysterious absence at his side, Mello sat up, looking around the cave. "Matt?" he asked.

The redhead was gone. Mello stood, double checking, as if there was somewhere Matt could hide inside. He saw no trace of the redhead, only noticing the lack of firewood.

Matt might have gone to get more. But why had he gone alone? What if he was lost? Matt didn't have any of the supplies! He didn't have food, or a way to purify the water! Close to panicking, Mello began to leave the shelter when the redhead appeared with a handful of wood.

"Where were you?" Mello shrieked.

Matt blinked. "I think that's pretty obvious."

"Idiot! I didn't know where you were! What if you got lost all by yourself? Did you think about that?!"

"I was just outside," Matt defended weakly. Mello growled and tore the wood from Matt's hands, building up a bit of a fire for them. He dug through his back and retrieved the other half of the sandwich from last night's meal and gave half to Matt. Once finished they split a chocolate bar in silence.

"Let's go," Mello said. "We'll stay along the river for a bit then walk back towards the hill."

They once again walked in silence, although Mello could walk unassisted most of the time. His ankle wasn't that bad, and felt better than the day before. He paused, crawling across the rocks to reach the river and refill the canteen.

"Mello what are you doing?!"

"Getting water you idiot, what does it look like?"

"You just sprained your ankle! Get back here right now!" Matt demanded.

Mello stood, putting his hands on his hips. "Stop bossing me around! I am perfectly capable of filling a canteen!" He turned around to look across the river, scanning the shore.

"Please just…come back to shore. You need to learn to be rational even if your pride is hurt."

"Shut up Matt!"

Mello turned to face the redhead, ready to say something, but he put too much weight on his ankle and it rolled under him. He yelped slightly and fell backwards into the river, vanishing from sight.

"Mello?" Matt called, scrambling up the rocks. The blond didn't emerge, and the current was fast. Matt dropped the canteen besides Mello's bag and took off at a run. "Mello!"

No one answered him.

/…/…/…/

**AN: Cliffhanger! xD Those are always fun. Look there was a tiny…amount of fluff until Mello got mad again xD Yay. Anyway thanks as always for reading. I'm focusing more on this right now, but MOAO will be updated eventually, I've just had a busy summer socially and now as August approaches college stuff is popping up. Bleh.**


	4. Holding You Up

Chapter 4: Holding You Up

Water surrounded him as he sunk under, the current dragging him down as his lungs demanded air. Without thinking about it he began to kick, but agony ripped through his ankle and he gasped, water filling his mouth before he snapped it shut again. He tried in vain to use his arm muscles to pull himself to the surface, but the current was too strong and he couldn't breathe and he couldn't get himself any closer to oxygen.

He tried in vain to kick only one leg, but his ankle still protested the movement, making his arms falter. He sunk a little further down before he managed to force his arms to work again. Mello's eyes were burning and the water was choking him. The muscles in his arms were burning as fiercely as his lungs and he realized with horror that he couldn't get to the surface.

Suddenly arms wrapped around his middle, dragging him up. Realizing it could only be Matt, he helped the best he could with his arms while Matt began to kick them upwards. Just when Mello thought he couldn't hold his breath any longer they broke the surface.

Mello almost doubled over coughing, his lungs trying to expel the water that had gathered there. One of Matt's arms was still firmly around his waist as he tried to guide them closer to dry land, but while holding Mello up he couldn't get them closer to shore. He'd never tried to swim while holding someone else up, and he was finding it to be quite challenging. Not having both arms to swim with made it more difficult, and Mello's weight was also working against him, dragging him back down.

The current was trying to drag them into the middle of the river, but Matt refused to let that happen. Mello could feel him strain to get them closer to shore. He managed it, but the downside to shore was the rocks and tree limbs scattered throughout the water. Matt, realizing his mistake, cringed at the sight of the rocks jutting out into the river. Not having time to move, he made a desperate attempt to grab one. The surfaces of the rocks were slippery and his hand did not get a good grasp, causing both boys to crash into another rock.

It was enough to make Matt falter in his swimming, and the duo went underwater, the current quickly starting to pull them in deeper. Matt struggled and got them both to the surface, now facing the opposite shore as they began to drift more towards the middle of the river.

Matt's back scratched into a sharp tree limb and he yelped, the pain distracting him long enough that they both sunk under for several seconds before he pushed them back up. Matt was coughing, struggling to keep them both above water. With such a strong current he was tiring quickly, and by keeping Mello as high above water as he could, Matt was having a difficult time staying above water enough to breathe himself. "Grab a branch" he managed finally.

His legs were growing tired, and they went under again for less than a second before he got them above water. Mello was scouting for upcoming tree branches. Matt's arm felt almost numb from the death grip he had around Mello, and it was getting harder to get his legs to obey him and keep kicking.

Mello could feel Matt weakening against him and used his arms to bring them closer to shore. A fallen tree was approaching and seeing maybe their only opportunity; he reached out and attempted to close his hands around it. The tree was dead though, and the branch Mello had managed to grab broke, unable to hold them with the current working against them.

Mello could tell Matt's kicking was slowing, almost stopping altogether several times before he managed to keep going. Ignoring the flare of pain from his ankle, Mello began to kick slightly as well, trying to remove some of the burden at least until another fallen tree was in view. Matt, too busy trying to keep them afloat could not get them any closer to shore. "M-Mello," Matt panted. "Can't," he breathed out before both boys were submerged in the river again. Mello redoubled his efforts, even with his ankle hurting him. With both boys kicking they broke the surface once more, now farther from shore than they had been.

Luckily they were still facing the correct shore, and there was another fallen tree coming up. This one still had green leaves on it, so a branch might hold if they grabbed it. They worked urgently now to get closer to shore, worried that neither of them would have the strength to continue much longer. Somehow, as the tree neared, they were just close enough to reach it.

Mello used both arms to grab one of the thick branches. He pulled himself closer, wrapping his arms tightly around the branch as the current almost yanked Matt away. Mello slowly moved farther down the branch, holding securely to the tree since from his position Matt couldn't reach the branch on his own. Finally Matt removed an arm from around Mello and in a wild reach managed to grab the branch himself.

A minute later they'd pulled themselves into more shallow water where the current wasn't as bad, and it didn't take long to reach land. Mello crawled onto the shore, panting, and Matt pulled himself up beside him, limbs shaking from even such a simple effort. Matt allowed himself to collapse against the ground, breathing heavily. Neither spoke for a moment, trying to catch their breath.

It was Mello who spoke first. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at the redhead.

"Yeah," was the breathless reply. "Are you?"

Mello nodded, turning to sit on the ground, now that he didn't feel like he was about to kneel over. Matt rose beside him, shivering slightly as the breeze picked up. It was mildly warm outside, but the river had been freezing. Mello shivered slightly too, looking around to judge where they were. "At least we're on the same side of the river as we were before," he said at last.

Matt nodded. "Yeah. Your bag is back where you put it down, so we still have everything. I don't think we moved too far down the river."

They sat there several minutes, catching their breath and trying to let their muscles relax after their impromptu swim in the river.

The wind blew again, making both boys shiver. Mello stood, wincing slightly on his ankle. Trying to use it so suddenly had made it feel worse again. Matt stood, legs shaking slightly. They were still aching from their sudden use in the river, but Matt ignored that, stumbling along back the way they had come with Mello.

There were more trees down here, and it was harder to walk. The wind was picking up, indicating the possibility of rain. The sun had completely vanished by now behind a wall of dark, ominous clouds. Mello was careful to not put his full weight on his ankle, using trees for balance. He didn't think Matt could handle his weight right now.

The redhead tripped over a branch and crashed hard against the forest floor. Mello paused and turned back, watching Matt rise on his elbows. "You okay?" he asked again, since Matt was taking a while to stand up. Matt said nothing, just pulled himself up, only slightly unsteady on his feet. He managed a weak smile and moved forward, catching up to Mello.

They walked for ten minutes before Matt tripped again. Mello turned to look at him, shivering as the breeze picked up once more. The wind seemed nearly constant, hitting the trees above them and occasionally meeting them down on the ground. The sky was growing darker and he could hear thunder in the distance. They had to hurry and get back to the cave before it hit. "Matt?" he asked when the redhead didn't move. Mello went to his side, leaning down to place a hand on Matt's shoulder. "Are you alright? Can you walk?" he asked.

"I just need a minute," Matt said, voice tinged with exhaustion. Mello moved back to give him room to sit up.

He looked around worriedly. "We have to hurry though, so not long okay? You hear the storm coming right? We didn't leave wood in the cave so we need to get some."

"I know. Sorry."

"It's okay," Mello said, sitting back. He watched Matt for a minute. "Um…" Matt looked up at him. "I didn't…I mean…thanks for saving me," Mello said finally. Matt just smiled.

"What else would I have done?"

They sat several moments in silence, Matt leaning against a tree. Another low clap of thunder came from the distance, prompting Mello to nervously look around their surroundings. He really didn't care for storms even back home, and being out here in the woods with no protection was making him really nervous.

Matt stood then, still slightly shaky. He was still so tired. He was tired, cold, and his limbs felt heavy and sluggish, but he knew they couldn't keep sitting here. A storm was coming. That fact was only reinforced by a sudden harsh gust of wind. He could rest later, once they were somewhat safe.

They moved slowly through the woods. Mello's ankle was throbbing from helping keep them afloat, but he didn't ask Matt for help. He was on the verge of asking Matt if _he_ wanted help. He had never seen Matt so unsteady before.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and Mello tried to increase their pace. His ankle protested, and he fell on one knee, clenching his eyes shut. _No I don't have time for this. We have to keep moving._

"Mello?" Matt questioned, pausing to lean against a tree, closing his eyes. He was feeling slightly lightheaded now as well. "You okay?" Mello stood, slowly making his way towards Matt.

His concern grew. Matt had obviously done the majority of the work in getting them to safety, and after eating so little he was probably feeling faint. "Do you need help?" Mello asked finally. Matt opened his eyes, surprised that he hadn't even noticed the blond come closer.

"No, I'll be fine once we sit down. Let's just keep going." Mello was dubious, but nodded, beginning to lead them back towards their shelter. He stayed close to Matt now, reaching out to steady him if he needed it, worried his best friend would fall over on his own.

He managed though, and it didn't take very long to reach the place Mello had fallen. Their clothes were still soaked, and the air had cooled greatly since they escaped the river. Both shivered as Mello quickly gathered his stuff. The cave wasn't far away now, and as they neared it Mello veered off course. "Quick, grab some firewood," he said, already collecting some. Matt nodded and moved in the opposite direction, trying to find good dry pieces. They were so near the cave that it was harder to find it, so both boys had to venture farther away to find some. Mello made a trip back with a handful then stood outside the cave, wincing slightly as thunder rumbled above him. The wind suddenly gusted, making him watch the trees warily.

Where was Matt?

"Matt?" he called, moving in the direction the redhead had gone. He couldn't have gone that far, but the trees were thicker here, and Mello couldn't see very far into them. Light rain began to fall, but thunder rumbled again above him. "Matt!" Mello called louder this time. There was no answer and he looked around before moving quickly farther into the woods. "Matt? Matt!"

He couldn't find him, and in his nerves Mello had gotten mixed up. This wasn't right because Matt really was lost now. Now, when he was exhausted from saving Mello and a storm was bearing down on them. The rain was coming down harder now, and Mello wasn't entirely sure which way he had come from. The wind was howling, the trees around him bending in the wind. Small tree branches fell from several trees as a streak of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a loud crash of thunder. Mello cringed and turned around, eyes straining desperately through the rain.

"Matt!"

/…/…/…/

**AN: Oops…I wrote another cliffhanger xD Why do I always do that with this story?**


	5. The Storm

**AN: Ugh it's too short, but that ending is just so perfect. Anyway another chapter for you all. Also I've started the next chapter of My One and Only. It may be a while, but it's STARTED.**

/…/…/…/

Chapter 5: The Storm

"Mello?" Matt called. He'd sworn he heard the blond call, which was good since he'd gotten a bit confused with where he was, but the rain had picked up and now it was impossible to tell whether he was imagining it or not.

Dropping the now soaked wood Matt looked around, trying to figure out a way back to the cave. Everything looked the same, and the storm was a bit distracting. He was pretty nervous that a tree was going to fall on him. The wind was coming in strong gusts, and trees were swaying and bending with the wind.

Slightly paranoid, he watched the trees around him and slowly took a step in the way he thought he had come. A loud crash of thunder came and he jumped. "Mello?!" he shouted, hoping to whatever Gods existed that the blond was nearby and could hear him over the storm. There was no immediate answer and a large branch fell from a tree behind him. Startled, Matt jogged forward, tripping and almost falling as a result. He caught himself on a tree and looked around, desperate for something familiar to jump out at him.

Still not entirely sure where he was going, Matt slowly ventured forward. "Mello where are you?" he whispered, wincing when another bright flash of lightning filled the sky. At least somewhat sure of his course, Matt continued forward as best he could, keeping an eye on the trees above him.

It was a downpour by now, and if Matt hadn't already been soaked he would have been drenched in minutes. The rain actually stun upon impact, and he could barely see in front of him. He kept moving though, heart pounding in his chest. How had he wandered so far away? Would Mello be looking for him? What if he couldn't find his way back?

He paused as a wave of dizziness struck him. Afraid of collapsing, he slowly sat down, leaning against a tree for support. He closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths, cringing as thunder roared above him.

_'I can't stay here. I have to find Mello. I have to get back to that cave. But I'm so tired.'_ Matt forced his eyes open, to be met with the sight of rain and trees. _'I can't stay here,'_ he told himself again, slowly standing and still using the tree for balance. He knew he wasn't safe, and a particularly bright flash of lightning followed almost instantly by thunder made him jump and quickly take several steps forward. He forced himself to keep moving, despite how heavy and tired his limbs felt. The fear of the storm was managing to push that to the back of his mind.

It was easy to push the exhaustion to the back of his mind when he was in danger. He all but forgot how tired he was when he heard a loud crack and another large, dead tree branch broke away from a tree in front of him and fell to the ground with a loud crash. He hurried past the tree. His heart was pounding and he felt like he had been out in the storm alone for hours when in reality it had only been several minutes.

The wind died down a moment and Matt swore he heard someone calling for him. "Mello?!" he all about screeched.

He heard someone yell back in response and headed towards the voice as quickly as he could manage. He was so scared. _"Please let this be Mello. Please…I need to get to him."_ Hoping to be closer now, he shouted again. "Mello?!"

"Matt!" the voice was clearer this time, and coming from up ahead. Matt pushed forward, clothes soaked through and hair plastered to his head. There was another crash of thunder from above and he winced. The sky was almost black now, and it was getting harder to see. Even if it was daytime, the trees and clouds was making it a lot darker. Finally he saw a flash of blond through the trees.

"Mello!" Matt shouted, and the blond turned towards him, shoulders sagging slightly in relief. Mello quickly began navigating around the trees, both boys moving to meet the other as fast as they could. When they met in the middle Matt didn't hesitate, throwing his arms around Mello's neck. "Mello."

The blond's arms circled his waist. "Matt. Are you okay?" he asked franticly. Matt nodded and they just stood there a second. A crash of thunder alerted them of the danger they were still in and they pulled apart.

"I think it must be this way," Matt said, pointing from the way Mello had been. Now that he wasn't alone he felt a little more rational, and realized the area wasn't completely foreign. Mello nodded then hesitated, finally linking his arm with Matt's, as if afraid the redhead may disappear if he let go.

Both held each other tight as they climbed over trees and around plants, moving quickly as the storm continued around them. Adrenaline had temporarily overridden their exhaustion enough for them to keep moving as the storm increased in intensity.

Mello yelped slightly when his injured ankle did not quite clear a fallen tree. He tripped and fell, dragging Matt to the ground with him. Both groaned, but Mello quickly pushed the pain aside, standing and dragging Matt up with him. "Come on, we must be close," Mello encouraged when Matt seemed to sag against him. "Just a little farther," he said, giving Matt's arm a firm tug. The redhead blinked slowly and nodded, quickly moving to keep pace with Mello.

It seemed to take ages before the cave came into view. The two soaked boys, still clutching to one another, dodged quickly inside. Both cringed as the thunder was amplified inside the small cave, and quickly moved away from the opening and farther inside where the rain couldn't reach them.

They quickly released each other. Both were shivering violently now, and Mello opened his bag, pulling out the spare change of clothes he had with him. He paused as he realized something; Matt had nothing else to wear.

He turned toward the redhead, who was standing, arms wrapped around himself and at a loss. Matt met Mello's eyes and gave a weak smile.

"You can't wear those, you'll freeze," Mello said.

Matt shrugged. "What else can I do?" he asked, teeth chattering. Mello looked around helplessly, as if a spare set of clothes would magically appear for the redhead. This, of course, did not happen. Matt had moved towards the firewood and began stacking it, pulling out his lighter to start the fire. At least this would keep him a little warm.

Mello turned, removing his soaked clothes in favor of his dry ones. He felt warmer almost instantly. Matt, who was nurturing the small flame, obviously did not have that same comfort. Suddenly having an idea, Mello dug through his bag before removing the blanket and striding towards Matt. "Here, take those off and wrap up in this," he said.

Matt looked at him indecisively. "I'll get the blanket wet, and then you can't use it to stay warm."

Mello growled. "Matt you're completely soaked! I at least have dry clothes. Just do it before you get yourself sick." Matt took the blanket and turned, throwing his clothes to the ground and wrapping up in the blanket. He was still shivering, but it was definitely an improvement.

Mello laid out their clothes beside the fire then sat beside Matt, cringing as lightning filled the sky. The storm clouds made it very dark and ominous, and the lightning seemed obnoxiously bright. He was still chilly too, even in his dry clothes, and Mello found himself gravitating closer to Matt, hoping to absorb whatever body warmth the boy had. Matt seemed to welcome this, and leaned against Mello. His shivers had died down since wrapping himself in the blanket. Matt laid his head down on Mello's shoulder, not able to quench the fear of the storm raging outside. Although it was safer in the cave, the storm had increased in intensity. A sharp crack filled the air as lightning and thunder struck at the same time. Mello's arms wrapped around Matt, not only to comfort but to seek comfort as well.

The rain was falling in sheets and drowned out all other noise in their meager shelter. Matt quietly began humming the Mario theme song, increasing in volume in hopes of at least distracting himself from the storm. It was a trick he had learned some time ago that usually calmed him down. It wasn't very effective, although when Mello joined in it did help a bit.

They stayed like that for a while, neither talking except for the occasional hummed video game tune when Matt got particularly nervous. Both began to relax as the storm died down. Mello finally pulled away from Matt long enough to retrieve a chocolate bar and a full sandwich from his bag. He quickly took his place beside Matt again. He handed Matt the sandwich and opened his chocolate bar. Both ate half of their food before exchanging. If the situation wasn't so dire, Mello would never share so much of his chocolate. However, even he knew he couldn't survive on chocolate alone. The swim had used up energy neither of them had, and food was definitely necessary. This brought their rations to one sandwich, one apple, and three chocolate bars.

"We're almost out of food," Matt muttered finally.

Mello nodded. "I know."

"You still can't get up that hill on your ankle," Matt added.

He nodded once again. "I know."

"…What are we gonna do Mel?"

Mello said nothing for a moment. "…I don't know."

Matt rested his head on Mello's shoulder once more. "Are we…" he paused, "Are we going to be okay?" he asked quietly.

Mello's arms went around him again. "Of course we are," he said firmly.

There was a flash of lightning as if to disprove this point. Matt hid his face on Mello's shoulder. "I'm scared," he admitted, voice almost a whisper. It was the first time either of them had said it out loud. Mello's arms tightened around him.

"We're going to be fine. We'll get through this."

Mello couldn't admit that he was scared too; because that would scare Matt most of all.

/…/…/…/

**AN: See? Not a cliffhanger. Anyway I'm not sure when I'll update, I'm going out of town for a few days again in less than a week, so I may get another chapter out by then. Thanks for reading**.


	6. Plans

**AN: Back from vacation with a new chapter. Updates may be slow now though. I got a cold up north and college starts soon, so there's like constant plans every day before we all separate. My goal is to finish before college starts which COULD happen so we'll see.**

/…/…/…/

Chapter 6: Plans

Both boys lied down to sleep not long after. Their clothes were still drying, so Matt stayed wrapped up in the blanket despite his protests that Mello would be cold. In the end they ended up huddled together on the ground, trying desperately to get some sleep. It did not take as long as they thought it might; they were so exhausted that even the fear of their environment could not keep them awake.

Matt woke slowly the next day, trying to blink the tiredness from his eyes. He groaned quietly, feeling his muscles aching from the swim the day before. Despite sleeping for a few hours, he was still tired, and without really thinking about it he curled up closer against Mello, burying his head against his chest.

"Matt, you have to get up."

Matt shook his head, tightening his grip on Mello. The blond was so comfortable, and warm. Not only that but he felt better while near him. As illogical as it was, he felt safer near him. If he just stayed this way and went back to sleep, maybe he could ignore his pained muscles, his cramping stomach, and how heavy with exhaustion his head felt.

"Matt get up. We need more firewood, and we need to plan out what to do now."

"But I'm so tired Mel," he muttered, shifting slightly to look up at Mello. Mello sighed.

"I know Matt, but we need firewood, if there are any dry pieces left after that storm. We need to eat, and figure out what to do today. In all honesty I'm not sure how much I can walk on my ankle," he admitted. "It's as bad as the day I got it so I may just need to keep off it today. There is no way I can climb that hill in this condition." He didn't add that he doubted Matt could climb the hill in his condition either. Instead he shifted, trying to gently push Matt away from him. "Come on Matt, if we stay you can sleep all day, but first we have to figure this out."

Matt sighed but sat up, tugging the blanket tighter around him. Mello moved to stand but winced when his ankle protested the movement. Seeing this, Matt stood and moved towards their clothes to see if they were dry. Thankfully they were, and he dressed quickly before handing Mello his clothes and the blanket. "I'll go get firewood," Matt said.

"Wait, Matt," Mello protested, images of the day before flashing through his head.

"You need to rest your ankle or we'll never climb back up that hill. I won't get lost, don't worry," he reassured.

"Just don't go far okay?"

"I won't," Matt said, leaving the blond behind. He glanced around before heading in the direction Mello had gone the night before. His initial findings were slim, but the farther into the trees he went the more wood he found. It was taking a while though; a lot of the wood was still damp from the storm. He winced as he bent down to grab another piece of wood. Swimming so much in that river had left his muscles sore and aching. Once satisfied that he had enough, he slowly returned to their shelter.

Mello was sitting up, waiting. Matt stacked most of the wood out of the way then handed Mello a few pieces, just enough to make a fire. It didn't take the blond long to get the fire going, and soon both were seated before it. Mello dug through his bag and pulled out the apple and a chocolate bar. As before, both ate half their share before exchanging.

"How much do we have left?" Matt asked.

"A sandwich and two chocolate bars," Mello said.

Neither said anything, but they both knew it wasn't even close to enough. The small meal hadn't been nearly enough for either of them. It hadn't seemed to help as much as it made them want more. Both of them, especially Matt, had burned a lot of calories yesterday that neither of them had in the first place. Mello took a swig of water, sighing as he finished it off. He made to stand but Matt managed it first, taking the canteen from Mello.

"Matt-"

"Just keep off your ankle, I can do it," Matt told him.

"Really Matt, be careful. Neither of us is up to our full strength," Mello warned. Matt nodded and left once more, climbing out onto the rocks to fill the canteen. He managed to do his task successfully and returned to their shelter, dropping in the purification tablets that would make the water drinkable in about an hour. He set it off to the side then sat beside Mello.

"So what's the plan?" he asked.

"I was thinking that tomorrow we could hike back towards the hill, and then keep moving west to see if it grows less steep. If it stays steep, then we're just going to have to climb it."

Matt nodded. "That sounds reasonable enough."

Mello sighed, lying back on the ground." "I just hope it stops swelling. It's just going to get worse after I climb that."

Matt mirrored his friend's actions. "Yeah, but we'll never get back until we climb that." He was silent a few minutes. "How are we going to ration the rest of this food?" he asked.

Mello closed his eyes. "I don't know. We could try splitting a chocolate bar tonight, then half the sandwich tomorrow morning? If we're lucky we'll find camp tomorrow."

Matt's stomach seemed to physically decline this new information. They were both so hungry, especially after yesterday. A person could survive several weeks without food, but it only took one day of being underfed for symptoms to show up. Irritability was the least concern they had. With this little amount of food any strenuous activity risked not only the bothersome symptoms, but the dangerous ones like passing out. They would have to be careful tomorrow when climbing. Mello certainly could not handle his weight if Matt collapsed, not with his injured ankle. Matt also suspected that if Mello were to collapse, no matter his will and worry for the blond, that he simply would not be able to carry him anywhere.

They weren't naïve. Both of them knew it was only going to get worse. It would make sense to climb the hill even today, before the hunger grew worse. The symptoms were only going to get more and more severe. Exhaustion would prevent them from climbing if it got too bad.

Matt was suddenly tired, not only physically but emotionally. He was scared, tired, hungry, and in pain. He didn't want to be stuck out here anymore. He missed sitting in his room and playing video games. He missed listening to Mello's angry rants and having three meals a day and even going to class. It would be better than being stuck out here in the woods.

A wave of hopelessness overtook him. How could they get out of here? How could they climb that hill with Mello injured and him ready to kneel over? How would they survive with almost, and by the end of tomorrow, no food?

A hand touched his shoulder lightly, and Matt opened his eyes. He turned his head, facing Mello. The blond gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and Matt rolled over so he was completely facing Mello. Mello put an arm around him and hugged him, rubbing his back soothingly. "We're going to be okay. I promise."

/…/…/…/

L had not been particularly worried when Mello and Matt had not returned within the hour. In fact he had not been particularly concerned for several hours; nearly ninety percent certain that Matt had managed to sneak a portable video game device into the woods and the duo were staying away from camp to give him time to play. As night drew closer however, he began to suspect that his initial deductions were incorrect.

By this point though, it was nearly nightfall, and there was not much he could do. He could not send a search team out in the dark, and he could not send a large team of people he did not know. Certainly he wanted Mello and Matt retrieved safely, but he could not risk the safety of the other students. L had made a quick call to Watari, asking that a five man team be sent to their location the next morning.

L did not fully trust many people, and these five searchers were no exception. He did at least, trust them more than most, and that would have to do. After all he had to make an attempt to find his successors.

The team did arive promptly the next day, and L had briefed them quickly on the situation. "Two of my students are lost in the woods. They were to retrieve firewood early yesterday afternoon and did not return. I have briefly explored the terrain. There is a steep hill approximately fifteen minutes from this location. They are not likely to have gone down there unless they fell, so the initial search should be to the east and west of this camp on top of the hill. If the search is unsuccessful efforts should move to searching at the bottom of this hill. Any questions?"

There hadn't been, but when the storm has descended nothing could be done about it, and the search had to be put on hold. Now Matt and Mello had been lost for two days with little to no supplies, and if that wasn't enough, they had been out there in the midst of a strong thunderstorm.

L was not pleased with this predicament. It was rather annoying that two people who could possibly be his successors could get lost completing such a simple task. At the same time, he had been watching their progress for years and he could not help but be somewhat concerned. There were a lot of dangers in the woods, and the fact that neither boy had returned most likely meant that something had happened to one or both of them.

The original search plan remained the same. The team was currently investigating the area west and east of the camp, looking for clues as to where they may be. If there were no results, the team would search the bottom of the hill tomorrow. He would expand the search each day until they were found.

He didn't know where they were, but he was going to find them.

/…/…/…/

**AN: I know not a lot happened but I had to explain what L has been up to. Next chapter should be more exciting, once I feel less sick and can write it.**


	7. Guilt

**AN: I love this chapter, especially the end, so I hope it is worth the wait. Just a couple chapters left you guys. Thanks for reviewing and reading!**

/…/…/…/

Chapter 7: Guilt

The duo left their shelter the next morning after a meager meal. Both their stomachs were clenching in pain but they pushed it aside, moving on despite Mello's injury and Matt's exhaustion.

Food wise they were down to a mere half a sandwich and one chocolate bar. Both boys had not had a full meal for days, and all the walking and swimming was taking a toll. Mello's ankle was still bothering him slightly, but he was walking with a barely noticeable limp without needing Matt or any trees to support his weight. After having a full day of rest Matt's muscles were less sore, but he was still tired. Both were still extremely tired, and only finding camp would relieve them of that burden.

They filled their canteen then moved slowly into the denser part of the woods. There was no natural path here like there was by the river. Dead trees littered the ground. The ground was covered with dead leaves and various green plants, most of which the boys did not know the properties of. Tree branches lied across the ground in their path, and it made walking very difficult.

Matt tripped over a fallen branch, groaning in discomfort. His head was pounding from lack of food and sleep. Occasionally a pang of hunger would hit his stomach, reminding him of how little he had eaten over the past several days. Mello paused, his brave façade having faded almost entirely from existence since they first became lost in the woods. Now he just looked tired, hungry, and utterly lost. Despite this he offered an encouraging smile, silently saying "we can do this, we can make it."

They key was to not think of the journey ahead, but each step in front of them. If they could just keep moving, just a little bit, they would be fine. So the duo continued their hike until the hill came into view.

It was intimidating. It wasn't impossibly steep, but it would not be an easy climb. Trees had somehow managed to grow rooted on the hill, though those were small and far and few between. The dirt was loose and it would be easy to lose their footing. Various plants hid the dirt from view, promising an even more difficult climb. Both boys winced and began to walk along the hill, hoping that some section would stand out as less steep, less riddled with plants, more stable.

Eventually, after about an hour of walking, they did find an easier section of the hill. It hadn't seemed to grow any less steeper, but it had much less plants which would make the climb a lot easier on them.

"You ready?" Matt asked, eyeing Mello's ankle. Mello simply nodded, adjusting his bag on his shoulders and moving towards the hill with Matt. They reached the incline and Matt held back.

"I'll climb up behind you in case your ankle gives out. That way I can help steady you," Matt said. Mello didn't argue, simply moving towards the base of the hill. It would be a tough climb, but they'd never make it back if they didn't climb, and they were pretty much out of provisions. Steeling himself against the pain sure to follow, Mello slowly began to climb up, Matt right behind him.

It wasn't bad at first, but the hill was uneven, sloping in places and almost impossibly steep in others. Mello used a tree branch to drag himself over a particularly steep spot, cringing when he put too much weight on his ankle. It wasn't bad though, and he braced himself with his knees, moving up higher on the hill.

It was a long climb, and both boys kept moving, not pausing to rest. Hesitation was not a good strategy here. Find a suitable handhold, hold on for dear life, and brace with your feet or knees. That's what they continued to do. Each step on his bad ankle made Mello wince, and the pain was slowly growing as they continued to ascend. The plants, when not so numerous, were helpful to grab onto. They were deeply rooted to the hill and easier to hold onto than dirt.

In their path was a barrier of dirt, jutting out of the hill. It probably used to be home of a large plant or small tree before gravity caused it to descend to the ground. Mello used the nearby branches of a plant to drag himself over it, wincing when his ankle knocked against the ground.

Matt was right behind, grabbing a branch to pull himself up. Roots and branches blocked his direct path, so he used another branch to pull himself around it, feet finding purchase on the dirt moments later. He lifted one foot, securing himself up higher. He began to take another step when the dirt, already loose, gave way. He slipped and landed hard on his stomach, sliding down the hill. He groaned when he hit the combination of roots and branches, but clung onto them to try and stop his descent. It worked, although it left him dangling, feet moving furiously to find purchase on the ground below.

"Matt!"

Matt's stomach was aching and so were his arms, probably scratched from his fall. His foot stayed in place a moment before that section of dirt gave away, making him slip farther down. He knew if he let go he'd probably end up at the bottom of the hill again.

Mello was beside him a minute later, trying to figure out what to do to get Matt on more solid ground. "Just hold on," he said, trying to calm himself. Matt was having trouble getting his feet steady. Because of the recent rain, the dirt was still somewhat loose, and not dry. Mello hovered near his friend and removed one hand from the ground to Matt's shoulder to keep him steady. Matt finally got his footing, sighing in relief.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, come on. We're halfway there," Mello said, trying to smile. Matt simply nodded, waiting for Mello to begin climbing and then following. Their hands were constantly being used for balance and to keep them steady. One false move could send them rolling backwards down the hill, causing another injury.

They tried to keep moving, afraid that staying in a spot too long would make them lose their balance, or that the dirt would give away and they'd go tumbling down. It grew worse near the top of the hill, becoming almost impossibly steep. They hadn't noticed from the bottom because plants had obstructed their view, but the last couple feet of the hill were nearly vertical. The angle was sharp, and Mello slipped when he first began to climb up it, sliding down enough to hit Matt, who barely kept his balance.

"Sorry," Mello said, panting slightly. Both were getting tired from this climb, but Mello slowly navigated up the hill, bracing himself with his feet and his knees and stretching, trying to reach for flat land. He just managed it, and hauled himself up quickly off of the hill.

He breathed a sigh of relief, taking several deep breaths before rolling over to look down at Matt, who was looking at the top of the hill with apprehension.

"Come on Matt, you can do it," the blond encouraged. Matt looked doubtful, and Mello grasped a nearby branch belonging to a fallen tree, reaching over the hill to offer his hand to Matt. "Just reach for my hand, I'll help you up."

"I don't want you to fall," Matt said hesitantly, eying Mello's hand warily. It would be so easy for the branch to break, so easy for his weight to pull the frail blond over with him.

"I won't, just do it," Mello assured.

Mello only hesitated a moment longer before he carefully braced himself and began to rise up. After several torturous seconds, during which Matt was sure he was about to lose his balance while climbing and fall, he could managed to reach Mello's hand. He grasped it firmly, still keeping weight on his feet and balancing with his other hand. Mello's grip tightened around Matt and he pulled slightly. Matt let his feet follow and was near the top when one foot slipped. He yelped slightly, but Mello's hand stopped him from falling. "No!" Matt distantly heard, and with a mighty tug Matt was pulled halfway up on flat ground. He scurried up as fast as he could and collapsed beside Mello.

"Th-thank you."

Mello was pale, eyes wide. He glanced at the descending hill and back at Matt. It would have been a very rough fall. "Of course," he managed finally.

Both stood slowly, moving away from the hill. They kept a safe distance from it then continued on their course, back the way they had come. Camp couldn't be far away, the problem was finding it.

Mello was limping badly now. The climb had been very hard on his ankle, and once again any healing it may have done from resting had come undone. He winced with every step, pausing to steady himself against a tree.

Matt stepped up beside him. "Need help?" he asked. Too tired and pained to be prideful, Mello simply nodded and allowed Matt to help him.

They weren't making very much progress. Mello could not walk very fast on his ankle and though Matt was supporting part of Mello's weight, he was exhausted. The climb had left both boys winded and thirsty, and they began to go through water fast.

Matt paused some time later, groaning in discomfort. His free hand went to his stomach and he winced. It hurt…it hurt a lot. Mello tugged him on. "Come on, you're fine," he said.

"Mello I'm tired, let's just stop a minute."

"We don't have a minute!" he snapped.

Matt sighed, brushing off the irritability because of the lack of food, and pulled Mello to a stop. "Mello I'm serious, I need to stop for a minute."

Mello gave an agitated sigh but stopped, carefully maneuvering himself to the ground. Matt sat beside him, supporting his head with his hands. His headache was growing worse. He tried taking a sip of water to help it, but it did nothing but remind him of how hungry he was. He groaned slightly in discomfort and closed his eyes.

Not the best idea. Closing his eyes simply reminded him of how tired he still was, and how hopeless this all felt. Sure they were at the top of the hill, but they still had no idea where camp was. Not only that but the canteen was feeling light…they were almost out of water. While going without food was a struggle, going without water for even several days was deadly, and they could not miss out on both of those things.

Even now Matt was unbearably hungry, but he was still thirsty. He gave the canteen a small shake. There were only a few sips left in there. Matt glanced at the sky. It would be night in several hours, and at this rate they would not find camp tonight. He wasn't sure how he could go all night and day without water…it simply seemed impossible. Mello took the canteen from him, but at realizing how light it was, paused and glanced at Matt.

"We need more water," Matt said.

"Yeah, but it's at the bottom of the hill," Mello stated unnecessarily.

Matt nodded. "I know. We still have a couple of hours before dark. I could climb down and get some."

Mello shook his head furiously, blond strands flying through the air. "No. You had enough trouble getting up the hill the first time. I climbed much better than you."

"But you're ankle is bothering you badly again. You would never make it back up like that!" Matt argued.

"We can wait," Mello insisted weakly. "We don't need water that badly."

"We can't wait. If we wait it will be until tomorrow and without water by tomorrow I'll have a lot more trouble climbing because on top of being hungry, I'll be thirsty and tired. It just makes sense to go get more now. I'm sorry I didn't grab my bag; it would have saved us all this trouble," Matt muttered.

"It's not your fault Matt." Matt said nothing, gazing at the canteen. "Matt! I said it's not your fault. I only grabbed my bag to get my chocolate. We're lucky I made sandwiches in case the food was awful."

The reminder of food made both of them wince. The last half sandwich was resting within reach.

Matt brought his knees to his chest, resting his head against them. His head was killing him, partially from hunger and partially from how tired he was. He really didn't want to climb back down that hill and up again, but what choice did they have? They were not covering a large distance because Mello simply could not walk much with his injury, and both had drank quite a bit after the tough climb up the hill. They needed the water; they needed something to try and make up for the lack of food in their systems.

"You're right," Mello said finally. "We do need water. I just…" _Worry. I'm scared for you when you're alone._ The sentiment stood silently in the air. "If you're going to go though, let's finish the sandwich first. You need the energy to climb down and back up."

Mello tried to get Matt to eat all of it, but Matt insisted on splitting it. It did little to quench their hunger; the portion was much too small. After several days the bread had grown dry and tough, and it certainly was not the most appetizing meal. It left both their throats dry, and they finished off the water between themselves.

"I suppose I'll climb down now," Matt said finally.

"Be careful," Mello told him.

"I will. See you soon," he said, slowly lowering himself onto the hill. He wasn't sure how he'd managed to not fall when rushing after Mello days ago, but he got his balance and began to move steadily down the hill, slipping occasionally but managing to keep his balance. Mello couldn't see him once he reached the bottom; there were too many trees and branches, but he tried to calm himself. Matt would be fine. Within an hour he'd hear him climbing back up and he would be fine.

An hour passed, and then two. Night was beginning to fall and Mello was working himself into a near panic. Where was Matt? Why wasn't he back yet? He should have been back a while ago. It shouldn't have taken that long to get water.

His eyes strained to see the bottom of the hill, but he simply couldn't see very well. There were too many trees and plants, and with it getting dark, it was even harder to see. Mello wildly considered climbing down himself, but he knew in the dark it would be nearly impossible and he would just hurt himself further, leaving him and Matt stuck at the bottom once more.

Scenario after awful scenario ran through his head. What if Matt had fallen in the river, and this time he couldn't get to shore? What if he'd run into a bear or a wolf or some other creature that had attacked him? What if he had lost his way and now couldn't find the hill, or where Mello was? He had no supplies except the canteen and…

No…he didn't have the purification tablets! They were still in Mello's bag. Mello's head sunk in despair. He hadn't even given Matt safe water to drink. He could have at least stayed hydrated. Now he was down there dying of thirst just like him.

_"He'll be okay. Matt is stronger than he looks. He probably doesn't want to risk the climb at night. First thing tomorrow he'll be back. We'll find camp and he'll be fine. He has to be fine."_ Mello listened and watched until the woods grew black around him, but he saw no sign of Matt. He curled up into himself, afraid of the darkness around him but unwilling to leave the hill in case there was a sign of Matt.

Not long after, Mello saw the slight glowing light of a possible fire near the bottom of the hill. He couldn't be sure from where he was sitting what it was, but he held onto the thread of hope that it was Matt using it to stay warm. Shivering slightly, Mello wrapped the blanket around himself and curled up on the ground, still near the hill but far enough away to not roll off. He was tired, but he couldn't sleep, hunger and worry overriding his body's desire for rest. He hated being out here in the open alone…he was scared, and felt weak and unprotected. His stomach was aching with hunger and his head felt pained and heavy. Images of Matt trying to survive on his own injured…dead…flashed through his mind. His throat tightened at the thought and he pushed it back.

Matt was fine. Matt was fine.

He repeated it to himself over and over, restlessly trying to find sleep on the cold, hard ground. His ankle was still throbbing from the abuse it took on the hill. He felt tired and lightheaded from lack of food. Every time he managed to relax his stomach would be hit with a sudden sharp pain, angry at being neglected.

And Matt's face burned behind his closed eyelids, chasing sleep from his grasp.

He slept restlessly for a while, starting awake every few minutes at some unknown sound or some frightening image of Matt hurt. He curled up tighter, closing his eyes and trying to ignore everything that hurt. His stomach, his ankle, his muscles…

_Matt was fine._

His head pounding, his body shaking, his heart aching.

_"Matt is fine. He's okay. He's fine."_

It hurt so much.

_"He's fine."_

Why had he gotten so mad? Why had he rushed ahead of Matt and fallen, leading to this entire mess?

_"He has to be fine, he has to be."_

Why hadn't he packed more supplies, more to eat, more to protect them? Why had he let Matt go off on his own? How could he protect Matt when Matt wasn't here?

_"He's fine…I'll never forgive myself if he's not. But he is fine. He is."_

Why was he always so mean? Why did he take things out on his best friend? Why was he weak…too weak to stay with him, to protect him, to keep him safe? Now he was out there alone and without supplies, all because of his injury; all because he had rushed in his anger and fallen days ago.

_"My fault…all my fault…getting lost, hungry, so very hungry. It hurts, oh God my stomach, it hurts. It all hurts. So thirsty…water…Matt…alone…Matt…I'm sorry."_


	8. Delayed

Chapter 8: Delayed

Climbing down the hill may have took longer than when he ran after Mello, but it did not take nearly as long as it did to climb up the hill, and Matt reached the bottom fairly quickly. He looked up the hill and thought he could vaguely make out Mello at the top, but it was hard to see. He took a long look at his surroundings then slowly set off back towards the river.

He moved slowly, picking out landmarks that stuck out in his mind so he'd be able to find his way back. He did not want to get lost while down here by himself, or end up climbing the hill and not finding Mello at the top because he'd walked too far west or something.

He paused at the crack of a branch somewhere to his right. He would have passed it off as a natural sound if it hadn't come again. He froze, taking a silent step in the opposite direction. What if it was another bear? What if it was something worse? What if it was a wolf, or a murderer, or a zombie or something?

He took a deep breath silently, telling himself to calm down and stop naming outrageous things. Zombies were typically out at night after all, and surely a murderer would have killed them earlier…right?

Either way though, the sound of breaking branches had grown quieter, so whatever it was must be moving away. Still the redhead crouched down behind a thick clump of plants, just in case whatever it was turned his way. He didn't care if bears did not usually attack unless provoked; he certainly was not going to risk it.

He remained there for several minutes but when no more noise came he cautiously stood, moving slowly once more towards the river. It took longer than he expected, but he made it back fine without any unexpected run-ins.

The current was strong today, so Matt exercised extra caution while climbing across the rocks to fill the canteen. He was getting pretty thirsty by this point and the water looked tempting, but he would have to wait until he reached Mello to have any, since he didn't have the purification tablets.

He sighed, standing and making his way off the rocks. He blinked back the lightheadedness the best he could, but in the moment of distraction his foot slipped, and he fell hard on the rocks.

He forced his body to go down hard to avoid falling backwards and into the river. His knees impacted the rock roughly and he gasped at the pain as they scraped forward against the rock. He winced but slowly stood. Walking made both knees, but his right one in particular hurt, and his cautiousness left him in an effort to just get back on solid ground. He made it and sat down heavily, breathing slowly. He looked down at his knees and blanched.

Both were badly scratched, but the right one was by far worse. Crimson blood was gathered around the large scratch, and blood was beginning to run down his leg from it. His left knee at least was not as bloody. "Dammit," he swore quietly to himself. He couldn't use river water to clean the cuts because that could cause infection, but all he _had_ was river water.

Noting a tear near the bottom of his shirt, he quickly reached down and attempted to rip it more. It took some effort but eventually he had torn a small section of his shirt off. He wiped the blood from his left knee and saw it wasn't too bad because he had thrown more of his weight on his right knee.

His right knee was awful though. He tried to wipe the blood from the cut and let out a small cry of pain in surprise. He pushed the pain aside and managed to wipe away some of the blood, and he cringed at what he saw.

Small pebbles from the rock were embedded in his skin. He couldn't leave those there, and he couldn't not clean that cut. Leaving it like this would make it worse, and infection would be likely to set in. His only option though was the river water…

He debated several moments, trying to push the pain back as he sat there. He wasn't doing very well though, for his knee continued to throb, and it was still bleeding. Finally he slowly crawled out onto the rocks, hoping the water farther out would be less contaminated with mud at least. He carefully soaked the fabric of his shirt and slowly worked his way back to land.

He held back a gasp as he wiped up the blood, several pebbles dislodging roughly in the process. He winced as he continued to clean the cut as best he could, wiping up the blood that had slid down his leg. It was still bleeding lightly when he managed to clean most of the blood up, and several small rock chips and pebbles were still stuck in the wound. Mentally preparing himself for the task, he hesitantly used his nails to attempt to dig the pebbles out.

It hurt. A lot. A whole _fucking_ lot. Digging out the pebbles was making the wound bleed more, but he couldn't leave those in there. Matt just hoped they hadn't gotten past the first layer of skin or he'd never get them out on his own.

It took quite a while, but he managed to get them out of his skin. Well, all but one that is. He had torn at it for ages before giving up, frantically trying to mop up the blood with his shirt. The small piece of fabric was soaked in blood and he threw it on the ground in disgust. It took him several minutes to tear off a second section of his shirt that was big enough to wrap around his knee that had finally almost stopped bleeding. He tied it tightly around his knee, flexing it slowly. It still hurt a lot, but he'd have to work with it.

Matt had spent a long time cleaning himself off, and he rinsed the blood from his hands in the river and stood, wincing slightly as he started the walk back towards the hill.

He moved slowly, limping slightly. His knee did not appreciate the movement. He used his landmarks to find his way back to the hill, but as he approached it he noticed the sky was starting to darken. Already it was getting difficult to see. Had it really taken him that long to clean up his injury?

He gazed at the hill, debating on what to do. He could attempt to climb it, but it would be dark before he reached the top, and it would be really hard to see then. Climbing would nearly be impossible in the dark. But Mello was probably worried, and he didn't want the blond to do something stupid when he didn't return.

It was getting darker by the minute though, and Matt knew he wasn't going to be able to climb this in the dark, especially when hurt. He looked around, trying to find an area that was not riddled with plants and trees. He brushed some leaves away and finally found a suitable spot about a dozen feet from the hill. He quickly gathered a small amount of firewood and started a small fire, just enough to give him a little circle of light. The darkness beyond his fire was unnerving, but at least he could see a little, and maybe this way Mello could see he was okay. It wasn't likely though; the fire was small so he wouldn't set the woods on fire.

He sat beside the fire, pulling his knees to his chest defensively. Now that the pain in his knees was more tolerable, the rest of his troubles settled over him. His head was pounding worse than ever, and he found it hard to hold it up. He was really hungry, and his stomach was not above letting him know this. Now on top of all this his throat was dry and begging for water, something he simply could not do.

He thought of Mello, up there in the dark, probably scared and alone. He was probably worried and probably considering climbing down after him. Matt knew he'd climb up as soon as it started to get light to prevent such a thing from happening.

Finally he lied down on the ground, curled up in a fetal position and cushioning his head with his arms. He was so tired, but his head was pounding too much for him to get comfortable and fall asleep. He pushed back the feelings of hopelessness, trying to chase the thoughts of despair from his mind.

The fire burned down not long after, but he didn't have the energy to move and find more wood. Instead he curled up tighter and closed his eyes. His body felt weak, and it was an unnerving feeling. He wasn't sure how he'd be able to make his body move in the morning.

He finally managed to sleep, although it was restlessly. He woke up frequently from a sharp hunger pain or from scraping his knee on the ground wrong. When the sky began to lighten he felt like he hadn't slept at all.

Despite this he was glad to see the light, and he quickly stood, swaying slightly when he did so. He steadied himself against a tree, trying to brush it off as getting up too fast, and moved towards the hill.

If he thought the climb was tough the first time, it was almost impossible now. He couldn't put weight on his right knee much at all. He didn't want to, in fear of causing it to bleed again or digging that small stone farther into his flesh. He tried to keep his weight off his knees as he slowly ascended.

This, he found out not long after, was almost impossible. He was only a quarter of the way up when his foot slipped and he fell, sliding down the hill on his hands and knees. He didn't move for several moments after he landed, taking several slow breaths before shifting.

The fall had definitely aggravated both of his knees, and he glanced down to see blood once again oozing from the cut and soaking into his makeshift bandage. He forced himself to continue the climb once more.

His hands were shaking. Matt's head was killing him and he actually paused once balanced, laying his head against the ground and groaning in pain. He pushed it back a minute later, slowly continuing to climb. He braced himself with his knees now, even though it sent a shooting pain through his knee whenever it made contact with the ground.

He was a little over halfway up when he was forced to stop again. A wave of dizziness descended upon him and he quickly steadied himself, once again laying his head against the ground. He closed his eyes, clutching the dirt and plants to try and keep himself grounded. Everything seemed to be moving around him. His head hurt, and his knee hurt. He was so hungry, so tired, his throat scratchy from thirst, and he didn't think he could climb any higher. It was too far, and what was the point? Why bother when he could barely make it several feet up before needing to stop?

"Matt!"

Matt opened his eyes slowly; gazing up the hill to see Mello perched over the edge, looking down at him.

But there was a point. There was Mello, who was worried about him. Mello who was thirsty and needed the water Matt had. Mello who would climb down after him if he didn't make it up.

Mello.

Matt slowly pulled back from the ground and continued to climb, wincing when he was forced to stay balanced with his knees for a full minute before finding a suitable handhold. All the time Mello was above him, watching anxiously for Matt to climb higher.

His foot slipped again, but he didn't fall this time. He held on tightly and closed his eyes.

He was so tired.

"Come on Matt! You're almost there," Mello encouraged. Matt slowly looked up at him and Mello nodded. "That's it, come on Matt. You can make it." Matt managed to climb another foot before he paused, the dizziness striking him so suddenly that he barely had time to tighten his grip. He couldn't lose it now, not here, not when he could fall by losing focus. "Matty," Mello called, making Matt open the eyes he hadn't notice he had closed. "Matty you can do this. I need you to do this."

Matt's resolve hardened he continued the climb. He wasn't far from the top now, but much like before it was steeper here. Mello hadn't hesitated; he was already leaning far over the hill, hand extended for Matt. "Come on, just a little farther," he said, stretching a bit more towards Matt.

Matt pushed himself up and clutched Mello's hand. For one sickening moment the blond wavered forward, but then he pulled back. Moments later Matt had managed to make it to the top of the hill.

He didn't fall so much as collapse into Mello's arms, leaning against his chest. Mello carefully maneuvered them backwards, dragging Matt from the edge of the hill and then simply holding him, glad he was okay.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Mello asked finally.

"I fell on the rocks," Matt said. "I cut up my knees pretty bad, and it took a while to stop the bleeding and everything. By the time I got back it to the hill it was getting dark."

Mello said nothing, and Matt shifted, pulling back slightly.

"I got the water," he said, holding up the canteen, hands shaking. Mello took it and quickly inserted a purification tablet. He set the canteen aside and shifted so he could look at Matt's knee.

"I'll use my old shirt to re-bandage that," Mello told him, digging through his bag. He removed his other shirt and tore it up; creating a better makeshift bandage for Matt's wound. Matt watched him silently. Mello winced when he got a good look at the wound. "Did you clean this?" he asked.

"Yeah. I used river water though."

Mello looked up sharply. "That's dangerous! There are tons of bacteria in there!"

"I didn't have much of a choice did I? I couldn't leave it, especially with all the pebbles that had dug into it."

At this statement Mello inspected his knee closer. "Did you get all of them out?" he asked, finding his answer a moment later. "You couldn't get this one?" Matt shook his head. "Do you want me to try?"

"No, that will just make it bleed again, and that will waste the water we have."

Mello began to wrap the cloth around Matt's knee. "We can't forget to mention this when we get back to camp. It happens when you fall on rocks sometimes, and as long as we get it out soon there won't be a problem."

"Yeah," Matt said.

Mello leaned back against a tree when finished, closing his eyes. "Let's just sit here for a bit, until the water is drinkable."

"Okay." Matt moved next to Mello, leaning against him and closing his eyes as well. Mello shifted to accommodate Matt better, trying to make him as comfortable as possible.

Not long after, both boys realized this had not been their best idea.

Neither knew how they were going to get the motivation to get up and keep moving again.

"We're closer to camp now. We'll find it today," Matt mumbled against Mello's shoulder. Mello leaned his head on Matt's.

"Yeah."

"_I sure hope so."_

/…/…/…/

**AN: Alright guys, the story is winding down. Next chapter is probably the last. I really want to get it out in the next week before college starts…so I have almost exactly a week. My problem is that I'm kind of angsting right now. One of my best friends left for college yesterday. More friends are leaving this week. I'm busy making constant plans or sitting online being upset…sigh. It's a sad time, the start of college. **

**So I'll try and push through that and finish this up before classes start. Hopefully they don't steal my life away, since I have another ongoing idea I want to work on…**


	9. Found

Chapter 9: Found

They sat there for a while before finally finding the motivation to stand again. Both took a long drink of water before they began walking again. Their progress was slow, as both of them were exhausted. Neither had slept well the night before, and the absence of sleep was making walking nearly unbearable.

At least near the hill they had a reference, but eventually they knew they'd have to head into the middle of the woods. Camp was up here somewhere, but they had no idea where, and once they had wandered away from the hill and had no idea where they were at all, their tempers began to rise.

Both were growing frustrated rather quickly with their surroundings and each other. They now had no idea where they were and their irritability continued to rise as the day progressed.

Mello already had a temper, but combined with the lack of food and sleep, his irritability just grew. Mello was moving faster than Matt, and he stopped, turning to face the redhead. "Would you hurry up?" he snapped.

"Don't get bitchy with me just because we're lost," Matt retaliated.

"I wouldn't have to get 'bitchy' if you hadn't led us in here and got us lost!"

The insults were quickly growing worse. Matt glared at Mello and said "I didn't get us lost. You fell because you were throwing a temper tantrum. That isn't my fault. I could have gotten us back if you hadn't gone and hurt yourself."

"If you had a life outside those useless video games we wouldn't have gotten lost in the first place!"

"Screw you," Matt spat.

"I don't need you to find my way out of here!" Mello snapped.

"Then by all means get out of here by yourself!" In the back of his mind Matt questioned the anger. He knew they were getting angry over nothing and that both of them were overreacting, but that didn't keep the hurt and anger at bay at all.

"I will! It's better for me that I don't have to cart your weak ass around!" Mello nearly shouted, walking away from Matt.

Matt growled to himself and turned, starting to move into the trees and farther from where Mello was. He didn't need Mello. He didn't need to deal with the insults or the blame that was being thrown at him. He'd get back on his own! He'd-

Matt was struck violently by dizziness and lightheadedness. It happened so suddenly that he didn't have time to prevent himself from falling. He hit the ground hard, his knee taking a rough impact. He let out a small cry, eyes closing against his will. There was a roaring in his ears, and the ground felt like it was moving. He felt so warm, warmer than he had been the entire time they had been lost, and he realized how stupid him and Mello were being.

Everything was spinning and he couldn't make his body move. He felt himself begin to panic. He couldn't pass out now! He was alone because of their stupid fight; because they had let their tempers rise and hadn't restrained themselves. He couldn't lay there alone and defenseless in the middle of nowhere!

'_Don't leave me Mello, please.'_

Almost as if hearing his thoughts, Matt dimly heard the sound of hurried footsteps. "Matt?! Matt!" Hands were rolling him onto his back and he groaned. "Answer me Matt!" Mello sounded panicked, and Matt forced his eyes open, staring blearily up at Mello.

"Mels," he croaked out. Mello gently reached down, placing his hand on Matt's forehead and then his cheek. Matt leaned into the cool touch.

"You're warm. You must have a small fever."

"I'm sorry," Matt muttered, finding Mello's other hand and clutching it, desperate to get grounded again and stop everything from spinning so much.

"I'm sorry too." He squeezed Matt's hand in reassurance then pulled back. "I need to check your knee okay?" He didn't wait for an answer, gently unwrapping Matt's knee. He cringed. The area around the wound was starting to take on a red tint, a sure sign of infection beginning to set in. He looked back up at Matt, who had closed his eyes again. "Does it still hurt a lot? Has it gotten any better?"

"It seemed to be better last night, but then it started hurting more again."

Mello slowly tore off more material from his old shirt to rewrap the wound. "I think it's getting infected."

"So soon? It's supposed to take a day or two."

Mello didn't look up. "You used river water though, and it probably sped up the process. Plus it's been over half a day. We need to find camp today."

Matt said nothing. Mello quickly finished bandaging the wound and stood. He flexed his ankle experimentally. It was holding his weight pretty well now, but because he hadn't rested it fully or iced it, it still had not completely healed. He leaned back down and tugged at Matt's arm. "Get up, we have to go."

They walked for a short while in silence, the pointless argument all but forgotten in wake of Matt's new development. They scanned for any signs of life around them, desperate to find camp. They hadn't had a bite of food in nearly a day, and what small amount they HAD consumed over this journey was not even close to satisfying. The canteen was almost half empty already and both boys were growing more and more tired as they walked.

'_Everything looks the same,_' Matt thought tiredly. _'Have we been here before? It seems like it. It looks the same as at the bottom of the hill…or the top of the hill…'_ His thoughts were jumbled and confused and he opted to not think at all, but just to focus on walking beside Mello.

Matt was cold. He wrapped his arms around himself, hunching forward in an attempt to keep warm. Mello glanced at him worriedly. It wasn't cold in the least out here. This only meant that Matt's fever was getting worse. Matt tripped and nearly went down, but Mello caught his arm and kept him balanced. Mello guided Matt's arm around his shoulder, so he was supporting some of the redhead's weight.

"Mello?" Matt asked.

"Yes?"

Matt said nothing, leaning against the blond. He seemed confused, as if he wasn't exactly sure what was going on. Mello knew it was just another symptom that came with lack of food, but it scared him to see Matt so disorientated. "You think we'll find camp today?" he probed.

"We'd have to climb…no…well then maybe," Matt mumbled. Mello tightened his grasp around Matt's waist. He was getting worse. Mello leaned his head against Matt's, fighting off his own moment of lightheadedness. He took a sip of water and continued walking, fighting off the wave of hopelessness that was threatening to overcome him.

It was hard though. Their situation was not looking particularly good. Matt's strength was fading fast now that the infection was starting to take hold. It wouldn't have been that bad if he wasn't already so rundown from the past few days, but combined with the lack of food and sleep, the infection was weakening him quickly. Mello wasn't feeling that great either. He was hungry and thirsty, but they had to conserve water because neither of them could climb back down or up, not that he was willing to let Matt go alone again. On top of being exhausted his ankle was still kind of sore, and it was getting worse since he was supporting much of Matt's weight.

"Fuck," he gasped when his injured ankle encountered a hidden root on the ground. Matt's arm tightened around him, stopping him from falling. Mello quickly steadied himself and straightened, giving Matt an appreciative look. Matt smiled back weakly in response and they continued walking.

They hadn't been moving very quickly to begin with, but as time passed both began to move slower. Mello's ankle was starting to throb with each step, and he was falling into a more pronounced limp. Matt's fever had worsened, leaving him cold and exhausted. His head felt thick and heavy. His legs were shaking under him, almost too weak to carry his weight any longer. He kept pushing on though, one step at a time, not allowing himself a chance to rest. He knew he couldn't get up again if he let himself sit down.

Both managed to keep moving for a little while longer before Matt's legs gave out, and both fell to their knees hard. Unable to find their balance, both fell forward, sprawled across the ground. Matt let out a little groan and curled closer to Mello.

"Matt we have to go," Mello said, his voice tinged with exhaustion. It felt so nice to be lying down…so much easier. His ankle hurt so much less, he was less lightheaded, and he didn't have to move. They couldn't just stay here though, or they'd never get back.

"No," Matt muttered quietly. His stomach physically hurt and every limb in his body was exhausted. He could barely find the energy to shift closer to Mello. His knee was still hurting him, and he was still cold. All he wanted to do right now was sleep.

"We have to," Mello said, checking Matt's temperature again. It had gotten worse and Mello could only hope it hadn't rose dangerously high. Matt moved, closing the space between them so he was pressed against Mello. His face was flushed and he had closed his eyes again.

"We're going to be fine," he tried to reassure the redhead. Seeing Matt like this though…it scared him. His clothes were ripped and he was covered in dirt. His face was drawn in discomfort and he could sense the weakness radiating off of him. Mello doubted he looked much better. He could feel the grime caked to his face and the tangled mess of his hair, and if he looked as bad as he felt then he must look pretty pathetic.

It was obvious Matt wasn't going to be able to walk much farther, if at all, and Mello couldn't carry him. He could barely handle his own weight. He gazed at Matt with concern, watching his breaths come in slow pants. Mello leaned his forehead against Matt's, feeling his stomach clench not in hunger, but in worry as he once again felt how warm Matt was. He opened the canteen and propped Matt up; steadying the redhead's hands and helping him drink some of the water. Matt slumped against Mello weakly when he had finished and Mello helped him lay back down. "Thanks," he murmured, not opening his eyes, taking comfort in Mello's presence. Seeing that Matt was not intent on moving, Mello lied back down beside him, watching Matt's slow breaths. Suddenly Matt's eyes opened and met Mello's eyes. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.

Mello listened carefully and he heard it too; the rustling of branches from farther away, behind him. He turned around, propping himself up on his arms and tensing defensively in front of Matt. Matt raised himself up slightly, staying crouched behind Mello but watching the trees warily. Both tensed as they saw something moving towards them.

Mello pushed the exhaustion to the back of his mind, too focused on only one thing; to protect Matt. Well to protect himself as well, but the redhead couldn't run, could barely move. He couldn't let him get hurt. But as he raised himself up higher, the creature left the shadows of the trees.

"L?"

Indeed it was L, who had paused only a moment before moving towards them. Matt made a small sound of relief and collapsed fully on the ground again, while Mello relaxed and a smile of relief filled his face. "L, you've found us."

The detective was beside them both now, glancing them over quickly and taking in their appearances. Neither seemed to be in particularly good shape, although Mello was partially sitting up, which was more than could be said for Matt. "Indeed. I thoroughly search the area every few hours just in case you two managed to find your way back."

"Back?" Mello asked.

"Yes, camp is approximately a five minute walk north of here. You almost made it on your own." L stood from his crouched position by the exhausted boys. "I will inquire as to what happened once both of you have been thoroughly taken care of. Are there any injuries I should be aware of?"

"Matt tore his knee open."

"Mello sprained his ankle."

"There were pebbles in it, and he used river water to clean it."

"He's been walking on it and making it worse."

"An infection is setting in, he needs medical attention."

L took in all the information in stride and carefully helped Matt up. "Will I need to carry you, or can you manage the walk?" he asked.

"I can walk I think," Matt said, a small amount of strength returning now that he knew how close they were.

"I can walk as well," Mello said, standing. L placed an arm around each of their shoulders to steady them, and led them back to camp.

Everything happened quickly after that. The rest of the children were gawking, asking if they were okay and what had happened. A medical team was waiting, and the duo was led to them instantly, being sat gently on beds and asked all sorts of questions about what had happened. L was talking on his phone to Watari, telling him to call in all the searches and that the successors had been found.

"Hey Mello?"

"Yes?" Mello asked, looking up from where his ankle was being prodded and facing Matt, whose knee was being cleaned and cared for.

"I never want to go camping again."

Mello laughed tiredly. "My either Matt."

They had had enough of the woods to last a lifetime.

The End

/…/…/…/

**AN: Finally it is finished! I hope you've all enjoyed it; it took the entire summer to finish. In the end they survived (as if you expected any different). I'm just glad it's finally done. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, you're all awesome.**

**As for future work I am still working on My One and Only, and oneshots. I also have nother ongoing story in mind, called For Him. This will be a high school AU. Do not flee, I shall make sure it is good and not cliché with every dn character in it…not that some of those aren't good as well. It will be Matt/Mello and look for that sometime in the future.**

**Until then college will continue to steal my life. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
